The Complete Guide to Specialty Cameras & Video Camera Types

The Complete Guide to Specialty Cameras & Video Camera Types

In this article we’re going to break down several different types of specialty video cameras and still camera types, explaining what each one is used for.

Sports video cameras – video cameras for sports have great fast autofocus features and often the ability to shoot video at high frame rates which can feel more lifelike for fast action. High frame rates like 60 frames per second or 120fps can be slowed down during playback for smooth slow motion effects. For more, see this related article on the best video cameras for shooting sports.

Action cameras for kids – Kids action cameras tend to be cheaper because, well, kids are pretty great at breaking stuff. They’re also often waterproof and designed in an easy-to-use way that’s simpler to operate than higher quality action cameras for adults. Check out this related article on kids action cameras for more.

Firefighter helmet cameras – Firefighters sometimes mount cameras to their helmets to capture footage of them doing search & rescue work. The specialized cameras that are used for this purpose have to withstand both heat and water as well as be quite rugged. For more, visit this article on fire helmet cameras.

Cameras for Specialized Use Cases

Timelapse cameras – Timelapse cameras essentially take one photograph at long intervals and stitch them together into a video, hence timelapse or “interval recording.” This results in “fast motion” video. Timelapse cameras can often be configured to record at different speeds and often can be mounted on tripods.

Underwater cameras – Cameras for underwater use can often go 100 feet deep and can be used for snorkeling, scuba diving, swimming, surfing use and more. Waterproof cameras are usually not waterproof because they themselves resist water but rather because they fit into waterproof camera housings. True waterproof cameras are slowly becoming more popular though like the newest GoPro cameras. See this related article about cameras for scuba and surfing use: What is the Best GoPro Underwater Camera?

360 Cameras – 360 degree cameras capture video in an especially wide field of view– 360 degrees! This is becoming increasingly popular for virtual reality or “VR” use. These cameras often work by combining two or more wide angle lenses on opposite sides of the camera body. For more on how they work, see this article: 360 Degree Videos & Photos

Drone cameras – Drones are like mini-helicopters that typically use several rotor blades that spin. They are remote controlled and often have cameras mounted on them to get “aerial” photography or video capture. Some advanced drones have cameras that simulatenously transmit video to the remote control so you can see the drone’s eye view as you fly it. The Best Cheap Drones with Camera for Under $100.

Professional Video Cameras

Pro video cameras – Professional video cameras are used by filmmakers and documentarians to capture high quality images with a variety of exposure settings, manual controls and high quality audio inputs (XLR inputs). See our related article on the best documentary cameras.

4K Video cameras – 4K video cameras capture extremely high resolution video, roughly double the size of normal 1080p high definition video. 4K video can be useful for high end video distribution in movies and television and it can also be cropped if it’s being delivered in 1800p mode, allowing the editor to “zoom” in after the footage has been shot. See our related articles on the cheapest 4K video cameras and DSLRs that shoot 4K video.

Consumer Video Cameras

Camcorders – Camcorders are small and easy to use video cameras for personal use. People use camcorders to record kids soccer games or opening presents on Christmas morning.

Driving & Dash Cameras – Dashboard cameras are video cameras that are mounted inside your car pointing to record the driver’s view as they travel. Dash cams are especially popular in Russia where car insurance works a bit differently but they’re becoming increasingly popular in places like the United States as well.

Deer cameras & trail cameras – Trail cameras typically attach to a tree and are left out in the woods for days at a time. Advanced deer cameras can be set to only record when there is motion (motion activated) and can be used to figure out where game is located for hunt planning later.

Security Cameras

Security cameras – Security cameras, some of which are wireless, others of which are IP cameras, can be set up mounted on walls and other surfaces to record whatever happens in a room or outdoors. These cameras are not typically very high quality since they have to store recordings for a long period of time but newer security cameras including security cameras for home use can record in color 1080p. Others types of security cameras might be night vision cameras.

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We're here to help you find the best documentary camera for your documentary film. We've looked at all the available documentary video cameras on the market today from DSLRs to traditional video cameras and made our recommendations.

Many of our filmmaking gear reviews and how-to articles on video cameras and microphones are also suited toward making fictional indie films as well, so this is not purely a documentary filmmaking website.

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